“Ma'am, that's not an explanation for hitting it.”
Her face reddened.
The officers documented the scene, identified witnesses, and arranged for the relevant recording to be preserved.
The president was instructed not to return to my property or interfere with the installation while the matter was reviewed.
The bat was documented as evidence.
She left in a vehicle driven by another board member who had hurried over after receiving her call.
For the first time in months, she didn't have anything to say to me.
Afterward, the fire chief approached.
He looked concerned.
“Your family okay?”
I nodded.
“My daughter's inside.”
He looked toward the house.
Then back at me.
“I'm sorry she had to witness any of this.”
I took a breath.
“Chief, is the tank damaged?”
He glanced toward the mounting bracket.
“We're going to have the qualified people inspect it before anyone relies on it.”
I nodded.
He continued.
“We have contingency resources. Don't attempt to test or repair anything yourself.”
“I won't.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
Then spoke quietly.
“You did the right thing by not fighting her.”
I looked toward the gate.
“Didn't feel that way.”
He nodded.
“I understand.”
Then he looked toward the tank.
“But there's enough trouble here already. You don't need to make it worse by getting into a physical confrontation.”
I looked down.
For several seconds, I remained silent.
Then whispered, “I was furious.”
He nodded.
“I could tell.”
The inspection later identified damage to a protective mounting component and a nearby fitting that required replacement and testing.
Fortunately, the tank itself had not ruptured.
The damaged parts were repaired by authorized personnel.
The necessary checks were completed.
And the system was returned to approved service after the proper inspection.
But during the interval, the fire department had to account for the temporary unavailability of that resource in its response planning.
The woman hadn't merely scratched a metal bracket.
She'd temporarily compromised the readiness of an emergency supply.
That fact mattered.
It also became part of the independent investigation.
My wife came home early after I called her.
She rushed through the kitchen and into the side yard.
When she saw me standing beside the garage, she wrapped her arms around me.
“Are you hurt?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She pulled back.
Her face was filled with fear and anger.
“She brought a baseball bat?”
I nodded.
My wife looked toward the tank.
Then toward the gate.